Objective To evaluate the single-use of laser photocoagulation (LP) and the combined-use of laser photocoagulation plus intravitreal triamcinolone (LP+IVTA) for diabetic macular edema (DME) in terms of clinical therapeutic effect and safety. Methods Such databases as The Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang Data were searched from the date of their establishment to September 2011, and the references of all included studies were also traced, so as to identify the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on LP vs. LP+IVTA for DME. The quality assessment and data extraction were conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook 5.0 by two reviewers independently, and then Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.0 software. Results Ten RCTs involving 525 ill eyes were included, and all of them were classified as Grade B in methodological quality. Results of meta-analysis showed that: at the end of follow-up, there were significant differences between the LP+IVTA group and the LP group in the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (RR=–0.14, 95%CI –0.20 to –0.08, Plt;0.000 01), and the central macular thickness (CMT) (RR=–56.78, 95%CI –84.03 to –29.54, Plt;0.000 1). In comparison with the LP group, there were more people in the LP+IVTA group who needed to be treated for their elevated intraocular pressure and to have surgery for the progression of cataract. But no significant difference was found between the two groups in vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, retinal vein occlusion and macular epiretinal membrane. Conclusion Current evidence of clinical research shows that the LP+IVTA is superior to LP in reducing macular edema and improving vision in the treatment of diabetic macular edema, but it may also result in a high incidence of elevated intraocular pressure and cataract. Because the methodological quality limitation of included studies may affect the authenticity of outcomes, this conclusion has to be further proved by more high-quality and large-scale clinical trials.